The subject matter disclosed herein relates to thermoelectric devices and, more particularly, to an architectural configuration of a thermoelectric device.
Thermoelectric devices include thermoelectric coolers that operate according to the Peltier effect in which an electrical input is transformed to a heat flux, and thermoelectric generators that operate according to the Seebeck effect in which a heat flux is transformed to an electrical output. Thermoelectric heat pumps or coolers are solid-state devices that use the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between junctions of two different types of materials. Heat is transferred from one side of the device to another side of the device against a thermal gradient with the consumption of electrical energy. Conversely, thermoelectric generators are solid-state devices that convert a heat flux between first and second sides into electrical energy. Both thermoelectric coolers and thermoelectric generators operate at about 5-10% efficiency.
Conventional thermoelectric architecture includes a planar configuration, such as shown at 2 in FIG. 1 and a stacked configuration such as shown at 4 in FIG. 2. Planar configuration 2 includes a hot side 5 and a cold side 6. Hot side 5 includes a first insulator portion 7 having mounted thereto a plurality of conductors 8-12. Cold side 6 includes a second insulator portion 14 having a plurality of conductors 20-24. Conductors 8-12 and 20-24 are joined though a plurality of N-type material members 30-34, and P-type material members 40-43. Upon the application of an electrical current, a heat flux is generated that flows from hot side 5 to the cold side 6. With this arrangement, the heat flux passes along a substantially linear path from the hot side 5 to the cold side 6 while electrical flow through conductors 8-12 and 20-24 passes along a generally tortuous path. The generally tortuous path leads to losses that result in low operational efficiency.
Stacked configuration 4 includes a hot side 50 and a cold side 51. Hot side 50 includes a first insulator portion 54 having extending therethrough a plurality of conductors 56-60. Cold side 51 includes a second insulator portion 64 having extending therethrough a plurality of conductors 66-71. Cold side 51 is mounted to hot side 50 with conductors 56-60 being interleaved with conductors 66-71. In addition, conductors 56-60 and 66-71 are joined though a plurality of N-type material members 74-78, and P-type material members 80-84. Upon the application of an electrical current, a heat flux is generated that flows from hot side 50 to the cold side 51. With this arrangement, the heat flux passes along a substantially tortuous path from the hot side 50 to the cold side 51 while the electrical flow through conductors 56-60 and 66-71 passes along a generally linear path. In a manner similar to that described above, the generally tortuous path leads to losses that result in low operational efficiency.